All posts tagged ‘video games’

Welcome to the second installment of Random Geek Roundup! This is where I collect a variety of links and sites and products that have come across my virtual desk in recent days. One thing I’ve learned is that just because you’ve discovered a specific interesting tid bit doesn’t mean that everyone has. So in the spirit of sharing awesome, here is the next collection of links.

Imagine a keyboard where each key is a tiny e-ink screen. You can change what appears on each key, customizing it for language, gaming, or anything else. Perhaps this would finally fix the problem of my keyboard labels wearing off!

A lot of books get forgotten about over the years, but one site is trying to collect them. This would be a great resource for anyone looking for new reading material, or for people who seek out more obscure references.

A generally accepted belief shared by fanboys and detractors alike is that gamers purchase Nintendo consoles and handhelds to play Mario titles. Sure, there are your other first-party heavy-hitters like the Pokémon and Legend of Zelda franchises, but Mario and company are seen to be the ones that really move systems. All that being said, after spending weeks wrapped up in its expansive universe, thoughtful gameplay and gorgeous presentation, I am positive of one thing — Fire Emblem: Awakening is a Mario-free 3DS system seller.

My love of turn-based strategy RPGs dates back to the age of the Game Boy Advance. Advance Wars, a title unfortunately released on September 11th of 2001, set the stage as an accessible, enjoyable entry point into this rather niche genre. After that Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the North American debut of the Fire Emblem series and eventually the then import-only Super Robot Wars franchise continued to compound my new-found passion for this deliberate and thought-provoking style of gameplay.

I reference my earlier brushes with these exemplary games because, on almost a molecular level, Fire Emblem: Awakening represents the very best that portable turn-based strategy has to offer. To the uninitiated observer it probably looks like another healthy dose of Western fantasy wrapped in Japanese RPG tropes, and on a purely cosmetic level this is true. The deeper one delves, however, the more likely an astute gamer is to notice Awakening‘s polished interface, high-caliber voice acting and stunning visuals. Continue Reading “Fire Emblem: Awakening Is a True 3DS Standout” »

I can’t believe I have to type this, but this article is in fact, passive-aggressive satire. – Curtis

Reading the news lately has been all sorts of terrible. Tragedy after tragedy, followed by public shootings, usually carried out by someone who at some point in their life – has played violent video games. We are hard pressed to deny that there is a connection between the two, as we all know every act of inhumane and sociopathic violence throughout history has been caused by violent video games. Disputing this point is futile. Violent video games cause violence.

Video games have caused a lot of issues. Here are some more personal ones from my Twitter feed:

“Katamari caused me to roll around my neighborhood for a year, collecting & hoarding all the trash I could find.” – @njdevilnyguy

“One time after playing Grand Theft Auto *A LOT* I tried to press Triangle to get into my car.” – @funky49

When I was a kid, my parents knew what I was allowed to watch. If it was broadcast at certain hours, it was a safe bet that it wouldn’t include foul language or adult situations. These days, with DVR and other on-demand TV options, we can provide a pre-selected and vetted smorgasbord of entertainment. But at some point, you have to give them a little freedom and let them explore the things that they love. For my six-year-old son, that means one thing: Minecraft.

There are essentially zero options in mainstream media for a kid with a Minecraft obsession. But on YouTube, an entire industry has been built of “Internet famous” players exploring the game and its myriad systems, versions, and mods. When we first started investigating this burgeoning entertainment scene from the glow of the family computer, I was dismayed at some of the offerings. Bad language, silly pranks, and a bunch of super irritating kids who had somehow managed to master video capture software between sessions of pwning their friends in online games. It wasn’t promising.

The channel is produced by Paul Soares Jr, who described himself as a “regular guy that enjoys computer gaming as a hobby”. He’s been putting out Minecraft videos for a couple of years now. In addition to standard tutorial videos, he also games with his kids. Punchwood Island sees Paul, his wife, and his three kids tackling a “shipwrecked” scenario in Minecraft. They have to find food, build shelter, and fight off the evil monsters that come out at night. My son and I were instantly hooked and spent the next few weeks catching up on the series. Now we’re both chomping at the bit for new episodes.

With other Minecraft videos, I can barely withstand the shrill, frantic tone of the hosts. Soares talks in a low, even voice. His videos have purpose, and it’s clear he loves sharing his passions with his entire family. My own wife and son found ourselves playing together in a similar way after watching Punchwood Island.

Note: The following review does contain spoilers for Far Cry 3. Reviewed for Xbox 360.

There is a point when you’ve played enough video games to be able to come to a snap decision about a game, ten minutes into playing it. While this sometimes backfires, generally your first gut reaction to a game is the right reaction. Yes, some games have longer introductions than ten minutes, though many hop right into the game. I’m not very patient. I want to play a game, not watch a movie. This is probably why I don’t review too many games. Yet, while Far Cry 3 seemed to be starting off slow, I was soon running through the jungle, bullets on my heels. Continue Reading “Far Cry 3 Drops the Narrative Down the Rabbit Hole” »

It’s been a while since Skylanders Giants first arrived. Since then we’ve seen Wave 2 and Wave 3 figures hit stores and sell like the proverbial hot cakes. As with the original game, my kid’s thoughts have now turn to the remaining characters as websites and players clamor for news of the remaining giants: Eye-Brawl, Thumpback and Ninjini.

Often the best way to track the arrival of these new figures is retailers. My kids spend their after school computing time, once homework is done, checking through a series of bookmarks for the figures they think will be released next. At first I thought they were wasting their time but it has actually paid dividends.

On more than one occasion they’ve been quick enough off the mark to snag themselves a rare or limited edition Skylander. The three remaining Skylander Giants are now firmly in their sights, particularly Thumpback and Eye-Brawl. When I asked them about Ninjini I was told firmly that she shouldn’t be coming out yet because there are any packaging pictures available yet. It seems my kids have become retail experts.

Looking around it does seem that Thumpback and Eye-Brawl will be hitting stores soon. On Amazon Thumpback’s listing includes details about compatibility and a box shot. Eye-Brawl is also there in his packaging with an additional image of an un-boxed version. Compare this to Ninjini, and she is clearly not going to be released until the final wave of figures in Easter or possibly the Summer.

With a likely announcement of Skylanders 3 at the New York Toy Fair in the spring it will be interesting to see how this effects the roll-out of figures. Also with other franchises getting in on the toy-meets-video-game genre, Disney Infinity seeming the most likely, it may mean that figures are released sooner than the first game to keep the collecting momentum going.

I also wouldn’t rule out some further surprises in terms of special figures. The popularity of limited edition Skylanders (from golden to translucent to flock and legendary) may mean that others will be produced as we approach the final release of Skylanders Giants figures.

The kids have also been pawing over the character trailers for Thumpback and Eye-Brawl as they try and decide which of these figures they prefer. My daughter seems to be attracted to the idea of a floating eye-ball; I blame too much Harry Potter. While my sons are still taken with Thumpback’s “Hail to the whale” catch phrase and skid around the house shouting it.

Scorpion Striker Skylanders Pack

Other favorites for Wave 4 inclusion seem to be Hot Dog, who is currently listed for sale (although without packaging) on Amazon. My kids have already made up all sorts of scenarios involving him and the Hot Head giant (favorite of which is something they call the “dog walking game”). Because of this they have got their eye on the Scorpion Striker Pack that includes not only Hot Dog, but also a Catapult weapon and Series 2 Zap.

Here’s the full list of remaining Skylanders that my kids use to check up on them.I suspect that we will see a bunch of these appear in Wave 4 quite soon then the remaining batch split between an Easter and Summer release of figures…

About a year after it came out, Mass Effect blew my mind. When I picked it up, I didn’t know much about the game. Just that the reviews were good. It seemed to involve running around doing some science-fiction oriented shooting. I’d heard there were some RPG elements. And the second-hand copy I saw at Gamestop was cheap.

I still remember buying it. The store, the situation. That’s how much that game came to mean to me.

Because I had no idea. I thought I was just buying a game. Run, gun, la dee da. Except that wasn’t what I’d bought. I’d bought a story. A brilliant, beautiful, epic story that took me, and involved me, and made me care. I have cared for the characters in Mass Effect as I have never cared for characters in any other work of fiction. Not a book. Not a movie. Not any other game. My relationships with those characters meant something to me.

There is a moment in that first Mass Effect game when you must choose which of two characters must live or die. There is no good solution to the moment. You have to pick which life to save. It was a harrowing moment for me. Two people who I cared for and one had to die. I made my decision, and after a while I learned to live with it. Continue Reading “After Mass Effect: Redefining Videogame Storytelling” »

Look around your house. What do you see? If you’re a geek, you likely see a lot of books, games, gadgets, and Lego. Those people out there who aren’t geeks have a different selection of items in their house. Everyone tends to prioritize different kinds of things, and it’s fun to compare notes.

This especially holds true during the holiday gift giving season. What’s on your wish list? What are you buying your kids, friends, and family? Board games and crafts are high on my list this year, both for giving and for wishing.

Here is a list of item categories I’ve noticed have been a priority in my family’s life for, well, ever?

Most of these are a no-brainer to geeks, but it really got me thinking. The tangible things we prioritize in our lives help define us, especially to ourselves, since we spend our time interacting with them.

What items that I didn’t cover are on your list? Which typically geeky items do you not prioritize? Which non-geeky items are important to you? Our differences make us interesting, and give us excellent conversation starters. The Venn diagrams of people’s geeky interests never cease to fascinate me.

As you may have read previously on GeekDad, I’m often on the look out for unusual ways to engage with the medium of video-games. To this end I got involved with a project that uses songs as a means of reviewing games. Recently I asked the writer of those sung reviews (Rebecca Mayes) to revisit some of her work and explain how she came to write them, and what the games she was singing about meant to her.

The result was a short series of mini-documentary videos that engaged with topics as diverse as violence, therapy, family arguments, body image, life choices and living adventures. They have turned into some of the best video-game conversation starters I’ve found and not just for gamers.

In the run up to Christmas, with the lights flashing out side her window (or was that a UFO?), she spoke to me about how she came to write her lament to Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. “Although I’m not really a fan of horror, I liked the cleverness of the therapist idea … I loved the quirkiness and the UFO endings and wanted to get that in the song somewhere.”

His latest contribution to the conversation is a post at the TED Blog, “Finding the meaning in video games,” which brings up the interesting point that positive views of video gaming are often couched in “justifying games by their secondary benefits.”

“If we judged novels, films or music solely in terms of potential harm or self-improvement,” Andy writes, “we’d miss their value in just the same way as we are missing a key part of what makes video games culturally significant.”

It’s a good read, and the post also includes two other thoughtful and entertaining TED talks.